Ulcers

[Onewomanbadtan]

Any advice would be great. I have multiple mouth ulcers, some going down my throat (these seemed to be healed or healing) , most in my mouth I didn't know I had and today a painful one. The dentist was concerned about one of them only.
I've a GI condition but my consultant doesn't think they're related...
Any thoughts on what to take or do.
(I'm not coeliac and am HIV negative)

Do you keep getting them or is this the first time youve had them?
I keep getting them and my GP said ulcers can be linked to what's going on in the bowel and sent off a poo sample to check for inflammation. It came back on the upper end of normal and I have to repeat it in a month. He has given me hydrocortisone buccal tablets 2.5mg that you put as close to the ulcer as possible and they cut the healing time down really well. It's tricky to get them in place and also a bit awkward when you've got a few ulcers going on but they still help more than everything else I've tried . They are so miserable.

I used to get a lot of mouth ulcers until I hygienist mentioned that there is a potential link with sodium lauryl sulfate which is an ingredient found in most toothpastes. When I use one that doesn't contain it I get the very occasional ulcer when I'm particularly run down but if I get complacent and buy a toothpaste on offer (and forget to check the ingredients) the ulcers are back again! You also need to keep checking the ingredients as I used a Sensodyne toothpaste for ages that was SLS free but suddenly ulcers appeared and they'd changed the formula and added it in.

Also, a good tip to help with the pain. Crush a dispersible aspirin tablet and put the powder directly on the ulcer. Tastes disgusting but the immediate pain relief is amazing.

Do you have inflammatory bowel disease or coeliac's? Because there is a link with mouth ulcers. Certainly probably with other GI diseases as well. I would be surprised if there is not a link.

Thank you all. I do. I have ulcerative colitis but my consultant is happy these are unrelated but is sending a faecal calprotectin just in case.
I've bought an SLS free toothpaste to try. I haven't felt most of them other than todays and the one down my throat.. Just assumed I had a sore throat initially.

Are you anemic? I had terrible, regular mouth ulcers when I was anemic. I haven't had them for ages now.

I'll check my bloods tomorrow. I have a history of low iron but my haemagloblin is usually on the normal side of borderline. I've started on iron supplements and multivitamins over the last week so hoping this will help.

Hmm. I have Ulcerative Colitis and mouth ulcers are a very good indication for me that I am about to flare (or am in a flare). Any idea why your GP thinks it’s unconnected?

It's not my GP, it's my actual GI consultant who is adamant there's no connection. He is excellent and is always on the ball so it's hard to know what to think. The dentist was concerned from a suspicious lesion point of view.. I'm nearly hoping it's a GI flare instead.